Deve
Gowda terms NDA govt a failureJind, October 8Mr H.D. Deve Gowda, former Prime
Minister and President of the Janata Dal (Secular), today alleged that
the NDA government had failed on all fronts. Criticising the economic
policies of the government while talking to mediapersons here, he said
the financial position of farmers had worsened, unemployment had
increased and the employed were being retrenched.

Cong flays
govt for ‘anomalies’ in procurementChandigarh, October 8The Opposition Congress today
lambasted the state government for alleged anomalies in the crop
procurement operation. Mr Ajay Singh Yadav, Congress deputy
leader in the Assembly, alleged distress sale of bajra by farmers in a
number of districts.

SI accuses
seniors of interferenceChandigarh, October 8The allegations levelled by a
Sub-Inspector (SI), who was the investigating officer (IO) in a
politically sensitive case, has sent shivers down the spine of the
Haryana Police. The SI has accused senior officers of interfering in
the investigation against Mr Om Prakash, alias Hitler, of Chautala,
the native village of the first family of the state, and putting
pressure on him for getting a confessional statement from Hitler.

2 Sub-Inspectors
shown the doorChandigarh, October 8The Haryana police has terminated
the services of two newly appointed Sub-Inspectors on the ground that
their height was less than the mandatory height of 5 feet 8 inches.

Stories from Haryana towns falling in the
National Capital Region are put in NCR Tribune.

Gujjars launch drive against dowryBapoli (Panipat), October 8Even as the middle class spends
lakhs on marriages during the ongoing “marriage season”, a
backward Gujjar community has launched a unique campaign to solemnise
dowryless marriages in the district.

Additional
charge for 3 IAS officersChandigarh, October 8The Haryana Government has given
additional charge to three IAS and two HCS officers and also issued
the posting orders of five HCS officers.

Jind, October 8
Mr H.D. Deve Gowda, former Prime Minister and President of the Janata Dal (Secular), today alleged that the NDA government had failed on all fronts. Criticising the economic policies of the government while talking to mediapersons here, he said the financial position of farmers had worsened, unemployment had increased and the employed were being retrenched. He said a few years ago, the number of educated unemployed persons in the country was 3.80 crore and according to official sources, the number had now increased to 6 crore. He said because of the wrong economic policies of the government, 80 per cent of small-scale industries had been closed down. He claimed that the government was following the directions of World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Mr Deve Gowda said the economic policies initiated by the Congress government were being followed vigorously by the NDA government, due to which poverty in the country had increased considerably. He said according to a World Bank report, poverty in the country had increased from 25 per cent to 30 per cent. He said the country was lagging behind in terms of development. He said a few years ago, the country was ranked 124 in development index, but now it had come down to 127. He claimed that the country had come to the level of Nepal and Bangladesh.

Mr Deve Gowda stated that the NDA government had lost its popularity and was confined to North and South Blocks in New Delhi. He alleged that during the past five years, the Vajpayee government had no achievement to its credit.

Referring to the Third Front, Mr Deve Gowda said at present, there was no proposal on the Third Front. He said several states were being ruled by regional parties and these were strong in their respective states. He said the Bharatiya Janata Party was encouraging Hindutva while the Congress had a soft attitude towards Hinduism. He stated that under the circumstances, secular regional parties could jointly oppose the BJP and the Congress and emerge as the Third Front.

Mr Deve Gowda pointed out that despite efforts by the Prime Minister, relations between India and Pakistan were strained. He said Mr Vajpayee had undertaken the Lahore bus ‘yatra’ and had held talks with leaders in Pakistan several times, but the talks had failed to normalise relations between the two countries. He said the people of both countries wanted peace and cordial relations between Pakistan and India. He asserted that only bilateral talks between the two countries could give some positive results.

Chandigarh, October 8
The Opposition Congress today lambasted the state government for alleged anomalies in the crop procurement operation.

While Mr Ajay Singh Yadav, Congress deputy leader in the Assembly, alleged distress sale of bajra by farmers in a number of districts, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Leader of the Opposition, expressed concern over the decision of rice exporters not to purchase paddy from the state due to the imposition of VAT and market fees.

Criticising the state government for imposing VAT on farm produce, Mr Hooda, in a statement here, said the paddy growers were being forced to sell their produce at around Rs 200 less than the minimum support price fixed by the government per quintal. He alleged that the intention of the state government in this regard had been influenced by vested interests.

“Apparently, Mr Chautala is working hand in glove with black marketeers operating as commission agents in grain markets to get
pecuniary benefits”, Mr Hooda said adding that the attitude of the commission agents and state government had facilitated the moving away of rice exporters to Punjab for the purchase of paddy.

Mr Hooda cautioned the bureaucrats of Haryana and said they should not blindly follow the directions of their political masters in utter disregard of the interest of the people of the state. The Congress is preparing a list of officers who were acting like agents of the Chief Minister and ignoring the welfare of people, Mr Hooda said, adding that action would be initiated against these officers in Congress regime.

Mr Ajay Singh Yadav said the state government was not keeping its promise regarding the purchase of bajra and the farmers in Rewari, Mahendragarh, Gurgaon, Faridabad and other bajra-producing districts were doing distress sale of their crops. “ In most of these districts, no bajra had been purchased by the government since October 3”, Mr Yadav said, adding that the crop was being rejected by the official agencies on flimsy grounds.

Mr Yadav expressed surprise that despite the arrest of two persons in connection with the murder of Parmanand Goel at Kaithal, no further
action was taken in the case. “The state government must hand over the case to the CBI, so that the real story of the murder could be unearthed”, he said.

Chandigarh, October 8
The allegations levelled by a
Sub-Inspector (SI), who was the investigating officer (IO) in a politically sensitive case, has sent shivers down the spine of the Haryana Police. The SI has accused senior officers of interfering in the investigation against Mr Om Prakash, alias Hitler, of Chautala, the native village of the first family of the state, and putting pressure on him for getting a confessional statement from Hitler.

Hitler and the first family have been long-time adversaries. Whenever the Chautalas come to power, Hitler, who enjoys the patronage of a former union minister, who is a senior Congress leader, flees the state.

It is not that the SI, Mr Ravinder Kumar, the then SHO of Sadar police station, Dabwali, has levelled the allegations against his immediate superiors in an in-house communication. What has shocked senior Haryana police officers the most is that the allegations have been levelled in a court of law.

To be fair to the Chief Minister’s family, Hitler was not first arrested by the Haryana Police despite being wanted in a case registered in 2000. He was arrested by the Rajasthan police. He was brought to Haryana on production warrants.

Mr Ravinder Kumar made a statement before the Judicial Magistrate, First Class, Dabwali, on September 22 that he did not want to be the IO in the case titled state versus Om Prakash and others registered on July 10, 2000 at Sadar police station Dabwali, under Sections 364,342,148,149 and 506, IPC, and certain sections of the Arms Act. He said he also did not want to continue as the SHO, Sadar, Dabwali.

He alleged that ever since the court remanded Hitler and his son, Manoj, in police custody on September 20, 2003, Mr
A.S. Ahlawat S.P, Sirsa, and Mr Chander Singh, DSP, Dabwali, had been interfering in the investigation and had been putting pressure on him.

He said he took the accused away from the Chautala police post at 9-35 p.m. on September 22 after they were medically examined in the Chautala Civil Hospital. After he reached the Dabwali sadar police station, the SHO alleged, Mr Ahlawat and Mr Chander Singh asked him to take the accused again to Chautala village. When he refused to do so, he was threatened that he would be placed under suspension. He was again asked to take the accused to Chautala village at 12-30 p.m. on September 22.

Mr Ravinder Kumar said when he reached Assa Khera along with the accused, Mr Chander Singh was standing there along with an “open truck” belonging to the Haryana Police. The accused were made to sit in the truck and the DSP allegedly took them to Chautala village on the pretext that certain documents were still to be completed. The SI alleged that the accused were made to walk in the village against his wishes.

He said the accused were then brought to the sadar police station, Dabwali, where he was pressured to get a confessional statement from the accused. He said he refused to do so because the accused had refused to confess in the police station. He alleged that his senior officers were pressuring him to forcibly get the thumb impressions of the accused on a confessional statement.

Mr Ravinder Kumar informed the court that he did not do so and produced the accused in the court “at my own risk”.

Interestingly, he also moved an application in the court seeking protection for himself and his family. He wrote that since he had given a statement against the SP and the DSP, he apprehended danger to himself and his family. He
apprehended he could be implicated in a false case. He also requested the court to take in its possession his service revolver( No. EYG-139), which was made in Australia, along with 18 bullets.

District police chief K.K. Rao said that in a raid by the police, all seven persons had been arrested under Sections 3, 4, 5 and 7 of the Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act, 1956.

He identified the arrested persons as Anima (imaginary name), Kamla (imaginary name), Suman and Bimla Sanju, a resident of Odhanwaali Gaamdi, Kaithal, Ashok Kumar, a resident of Kaachhwa Railway Crossing, Ram Nagar, Karnal and a local resident, Kitaab Singh. The Indica car number (DL 8 CF 6468) used for the purpose was also impounded.

He added that house owner Bimla said that after the death of her husband, she had been in immoral trafficking and had been bringing girls from Nepal, Kolkata and Delhi etc for flesh trade.

Mr Rao said the police recovered a girl from Nepal and another from Kolkata from the house. Her accomplices Ashok, Kitaab and Suman were arrested. Bimla also told the police that she used to send girls along with Suman and Kitaab Singh by car to customers and Ashok helped her by carrying the girls, Suman and Kitaab Singh.

Mr Rao added that a case under Sections 7, 10, 13 (a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and under Section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code was registered against the then Station House Officer (SHO), Sadar Thana, Thanesar (Pipli), Assistant Sub-Inspector, Baljeet Singh for allegedly getting Rs 10,000 per month for helping in the running of brothel in a house in Sector 3, Haryana Housing Board Colony here.

Mr Rao said brothel owner, Bimla, in a signed statement to the police, levelled allegations against Station House Officer (SHO), Sadar Thana, Thanesar (Pipli), Mr Baljeet Singh said that being a widow she ran brothel at her residence by bringing girls from Bengal, Nepal and Delhi etc. She said that one year ago, when Baljeet Singh assumed charge as SHO, Pipli, he called her to Pipli Thana and asked her that if she intended to continue her business, she would have to grease his palm. The SHO also told her that she should go ahead with her business fearlessly. He used to call her to the Sadar Thana every month and was paid Rs 10,000 per month. “I was running the immoral trafficking business on the behest of SHO, Baljeet Singh,” she added.

After registering a case against Baljeet Singh, further inquiry of the case had been assigned to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters), Mr Anil Dhawan, but efforts were being made to arrest Assistant Sub-Inspector, Baljeet Singh, Mr Rao added.

All were produced in a local court here today which remanded them in judicial custody for 14 days.

The local social organisations, (NGOs) and residents have appreciated this action of the police.

Chandigarh, October 8
The Haryana police has terminated the services of two newly appointed Sub-Inspectors
(SIs) on the ground that their height was less than the mandatory height of 5 feet
8 inches.

The termination has given credence to the allegations levelled by several opposition leaders that the selection was not based on merit. The RPI MLA, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, was the first opposition leader to raise fingers on the fairness of the selection, which was also challenged, among others, by a resident of the Rori Assembly constituency, Mr Charanjit Singh, in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Later Mr Charanjit’s uncle, Mr Dalwara Singh, had alleged in a petition filed before the high court that he was threatened by the Rori MLA, Mr Abhay
Singh Chautala, with dire consequences if he did not withdraw the petition.

According to sources, among the dismissed SIs is Mr Hari Chand, brother of a former Haryana minister, Mr Jagdish Nayar, who is now in the INLD. Another dismissed SI belongs to Tohana.

The sources say that Mr Sunil Kumar, who was number one on the waiting list, had filed a writ petition claiming that the two SIs were not physically fit.

The Haryana Staff Selection Commission, which had selected 17 candidates for 17 posts of SI in May last, decided to measure the height of the selected candidates again. Two members of the commission and the IG, (Law and Order), Mr R.N.
Chalia, were asked to again measure the height of the candidates.

It was found that while Mr Hari Chand was short by about two inches, the Tohana man was short by half an inch. Both of them were discharged from service. They had been undergoing training in the Police Training College,
Madhuban.

A criminal case under Sections 419 and 420, IPC, has been registered against Mr Hari Chand at Baldev Nagar Police Station, Ambala.

It was alleged that someone had impersonated Hari Chand when the physical examination was conducted in Ambala. No case has been registered against the Tohana resident because it was felt that the difference of half inch could be the result of a clerical mistake.

Bapoli (Panipat), October 8
Even as the middle class spends lakhs on marriages during the ongoing “marriage season”, a backward Gujjar community has launched a unique campaign to solemnise dowryless marriages in the district.

The campaign without any NGO or government support has been launched by the “sataisi) (27 villages) of Rawal gotra of the Gujjar community with a view to providing relief to the common man. A couple of villages from the adjoining Karnal district has joined the campaign with the support of community elders.

Wasteful expenditure on marriage has been cut and a marriage, which cost a few lakhs, can now solemnised in a couple of hundred rupees. Giving and taking dowry has been stopped and violators face social boycott, a severe punishment in the community.

Marriage has been made a simple affair and the “shagun” amount fixed Re 1. Expenditure on band parties and other ostentatious display of wealth has been prohibited.

This has been achieved despite minor violations by certain unscrupulous elements, claims an influential leader of the community on the condition of anonymity, adding that the campaign is gaining strength.

But the fact that the campaign has got little support from the state and central governments and NGOs pains the community leaders. “We may be politically insignificant in Haryana as Jats call the shots in the state, but the campaign should have got the whole-hearted support of the Chautala government, which claims to be farmers’ government”, said a community leader.

He emphasised the success of the campaign during the ongoing marriage season was enough evidence of its effectiveness. The campaign had assumed the proportion of a movement as it has the support of the majority of the community, Mr Ilam Singh Bapoli, an influential leader of the community and the spirit behind the campaign, told The Tribune.

Hisar, October 8
Driven by poverty, a woman poisoned her two minor daughters to death and later consumed poison herself in Narnaund town, 70 km from here, under Hansi subdivision of this district, the police said today.

Twenty two-year-old Bhateri mixed poison in the tea and gave it to her two minor daughters aged four years and eight later, she herself took the same poison.
— PTI

Yamunanagar, October 8
The three-day Zonal Youth Festival at Kurukshetra University, hosted by DAV College for Girls, Yamunanagar, concluded here last evening. As many as 16 colleges of Yamunanagar zone participated in 25 cultural events.